Youth in Service
Invest to Be the Change
Youth in Service doesn’t exist to host Senior Breakfast Clubs on the weekend. Youth in Service doesn’t exist to plant a vegetable garden for a malnourished community. And Youth in Service doesn’t exist to bag lunches to donate to a food pantry to feed hungry families.
We do not serve to see the genuine grins on the faces of the people we are helping. We do not serve because we want to change someone’s day for the good.
Yes, we do all of these things. Yes, we love all of these responses.
However, the youth groups that serve through Youth in Service serve to BE the change, not just to make a change. Our youth that serve want to be the change in our community that makes a lasting impact on our world and paves the way for generations to come.
Our groups of youth, aged 8 to 18 years, who volunteer through Youth in Service, are the future of our world. With each seemingly small project, we strive to engage, educate, and empower our volunteers to continue serving the community by illustrating the powerful impression each person has in helping the future generations of Chicago and the world.
One project at a time, Chicago Cares Youth in Service is able to work with youth volunteers to serve many issue areas: seniors, homelessness and hunger, children’s education, persons with disabilities, environmental issues, and anything they can imagine. Allowing these youth to take the lead and work together is truly empowering and makes a difference on how they view the world and how they view the meaning of service.
I have been fortunate enough to work with students from Mather High School this past month and will continue doing so for the rest of the school year. From day one it was clear that they want to help others, but weren’t really sure how. After serving at their first Youth in Service project last Saturday, the students are better able to relate to people unlike themselves and better understand the needs of our community.
Help continue bettering Chicago and the world by starting with this amazing generation by making a donation through the Chicago Cares I Care campaign. Invest in small project, like a $150 Senior Breakfast Club that not only provides a fun and nutritious meal for senior citizens, but also teaches youth the importance of service.
Visit our I Care campaign to make a donation today. Or click here to fundraise for Chicago Cares.
Written By Danika Marcano
HandsOn AmeriCorps Member
Youth in Service
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )What I Did Over My Summer Vacation: Cultivating a Spirit of Service in Youth Volunteers
With over 200 group volunteer projects listed on our calendar each month, it’s easy to lose track of the many opportunities that Chicago Cares operates outside of our ongoing programing. An area that is especially exciting is the Youth in Service (YIS) program.
YIS empowers youth to make positive changes in their communities through well-rounded volunteer service programs touching the areas of poverty, aging, human services and the environment. We believe that by educating youth on social issues, engaging them in meaningful service and empowering them to be agents of change, we are fostering a new generation of leaders grounded in the ethic of community involvement. In just 5 years, our program has introduced over 20,000 Chicago youth to volunteerism.
Over the past month we’ve been excited to be able to participate the Summer of Service and Leadership, a service learning initiative with Chicago Public Schools. This four-week summer program cultivates a service mindset and leadership skills in students. Many schools participate and Chicago Cares coordinated projects for King College Prep, Amundsen High School, Whitney Young Magnet High School, Prosser Academy High School, Westinghouse High School and for 2 programs at Solorio Academy High School.
During the Summer of Service and Leadership, Chicago Cares builds 1 service project a week for each individual school, over the course of 3 weeks. The first week focuses on seniors, the second calls attention to hunger issues and the final week highlights the environment. During the last week of the 4 week program, schools choose whether to work with us in planning another service project for their group or spend the final week in the classroom working on reflection and other leadership skills.
To find out what kind of impact our partnership with students participating in the Summer of Service and Leadership had, we decided to ask them about their experience. Here’s what they had to say.
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Thank You 2011-2012 AmeriCorps Team!
It’s that time of year again, time to bid farewell to our wonderful AmeriCorps members as they complete their year of service with Chicago Cares. We have loved the opportunity to get to know Chris, Adrienne and Jen. We’ll miss them here at Chicago Cares but we know that they will continue to do great things as they take the next steps in their careers!
Adrienne, Chris and Jen will be sharing their thoughts on what they’ve learned through their year of service on Monday’s blog, but today we wanted to share a little bit about what their service has meant to us here at Chicago Cares.
Chris and Jen worked as part of our Youth in Service team. Here are some reflections from their co-workers.
From Katie:
Jen created 3,471 volunteer slots over her 11 months of service. This was in large part due to her facilitation of 2 Student Service and Leadership programs with 28 students in each at Mather High School. Jen did an amazing job of supporting and managing our programs there. She was also really great about working hard to create introduction and reflection information for her projects that would really engage the students and get them thinking about the issues they were working within.
Chris worked very hard to create some awesome new issue education pieces- he created an interactive piece about the global water crisis that shows students the difference in water resources in a developing country vs. the United States. He also worked to develop the “What’s on my plate? Game” which is a game that shows students the complexity of feeding yourself in America! Each student plays a role- some students have more money and access to transportation while others have less and some have less money AND no access to transportation. Chris also added a great twist to this game in adding in a health component, asking students to not only look at the costs of food, but to also think about what it is they are eating.
One of the best things about this past year of working with Chris and Jen has been watching them both learn to come together and work as a team with Joyce and I. The first few weeks/months were not always easy and figuring out how to work together took perseverance- but both really fought to learn how to help one another and they have both become really great team players!
From Joyce:
Chris did a great job working with community partners to find project models that fit for both us and them. When one of our partners requested that we host an arts and crafts night for their residents, Chris came up with a unique craft idea for project. He was open to trying out new ideas and models and it helped us develop stronger relationships with partners that we have not worked with as much in the past.
Jen put a lot of work into creating a variety of issue education, introduction ideas, and reflection activities for our projects. Her interest in education definitely showed throughout the year as she created new activities to help our youth groups learn and become more passionate about service.
Adrienne spent her time with our Volunteer and Leader Services team, here are some thoughts that they wanted to share.
From Kim:
Adrienne joined Volunteer & Leader Services during our busiest recruitment season. She didn’t hesitate to jump into her projects and share her perspective with us. Adrienne developed a volunteer newsletter for Annual Events Production Assistants in order to bridge the communication gap between volunteers and staff, successfully raising our recruitment and retention numbers by 15%. Adrienne has great ideas and is focused on achieving her goals. We wish her the best.
From Maura:
Adrienne has been at Chicago Cares longer than I have, so I’ve always been lucky enough to have her on the other side of the wall. She’s answered bazillions of questions, blessed me after countless sneezes, and helped me strategize through the busiest of times, but the greatest comfort has probably been just knowing that she has always been there.
I recently ran across an email I got from her on the afternoon of my very first day at Chicago Cares that she probably has no recollection of even sending. It simply says, “Hello, Happy First Day!” and it came at a time that I was so overwhelmed, that I saved it but had almost no recollection of it myself – almost. My life as a Chicago Cares staffer flashed backwards in an instant, and I remember feeling so grateful that first afternoon for such a kind gesture and delightful neighbor. Of course, I’m even happier now for all the growth that has happened for us and for our team since then. And though the other side of the wall and VLS soon won’t be the same, I truly thank Adrienne and wish her the greatest success with school and all of her future endeavors.
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National Volunteer Week Round Up
Last week we celebrated National Volunteer Week by taking time each day to thank the tens of thousands of you who help make our work possible.
Whether you volunteer through your company, lead an ongoing project, give a monthly donation, or all of the above; we appreciate all you do for Chicago Cares!
Many departments throughout Chicago Cares took time to create these fun projects, each bringing their own message and unique brand of creativity. Whether you missed a day or just need a good reason to smile, here’s a look back at our celebration of National Volunteer Week.
- Monday: Thank You, Annual Event Volunteers
- Tuesday: Thank You, Corporate Volunteers
- Wednesday: Thank You, Education Volunteers
- Thursday: Thank You, Donors
- Friday: Cheers to Chicago’s Best AND Thank You, Human Services and Environment Volunteers
- Saturday: Thank You, Youth in Service Volunteers
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What Makes a Leader?
“The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity,
but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.”
-John Buchan
At Chicago Cares, we’re always looking for good leaders. That doesn’t mean you need a fancy degree or a charismatic personality, instead what we’re interested in is the belief that a group of committed people can make a real difference in our world.
At Chicago Cares we’re looking for leaders who love Chicago and want to see every single one of our city’s neighborhoods thrive and flourish, no matter what the individual income, ethnic background or educational experience.
At Chicago Cares, we’re looking for you.
Be a part of something special. Consider becoming a Serve-a-thon or Youth in Service leader today!
Why You Should Love Teens As Much As I Do
When I first started working in the Youth in Service department, the main reason I wanted to work with teens was a fairly typical one: they are the future and I wanted to teach them to be good citizens.
Now, more than 2 1/2 years later, I have to say that although my initial reason for wanting to work with teens still holds true, I’ve come to really enjoy the unique traits they bring to volunteer experiences. I feel like a bit of an anomaly saying that, but it’s true. What I love most about teens is that they have so many facets to their personalities, and after you spend time with them you get to better see what they’re about.
They are extremely passionate.
One of the biggest stereotypes about teenagers is that they are lazy. And yes, while I do remember the (many) days in high school where I would take a nap after school until dinnertime, I think that this stereotype is largely a misconception. After volunteer projects, I’ve had students ask to come back and volunteer again, inquire about summer jobs, and even start their own service club at their school.
What I’ve found is that once a teenager starts caring about something and talking about it, it is very hard to get them to stop. They care and they want you to care as much as they do – and once they start talking about their volunteer project, it’s very refreshing and often the start of a lot of good conversation.
They always have excellent questions that challenge me.
Simultaneously, the best and most difficult thing about leading projects with teenagers is answering their questions. At projects, I’ve had a variety of questions asked ranging from “Why do homeless people ask for money instead of going out and getting a job” to “Why do seniors like bingo so much?” My goal is to answer these questions without reinforcing stereotypes, in a way that is clear enough to understand, and in a way that is short enough to keep their attention. It’s a daunting task – and not always one I complete flawlessly.
However, one of the reasons I love these questions is that is causes me to continuously think about these issues – Why does this matter? Why am I doing this? Why should I care? Each question lets me reflect, and as a result allows me to stay passionate in a job where you can’t always see immediate results.
It’s a time when they try to find themselves and develop as an individual.
When I was a teenager, I started volunteering on a whim, and since then it has always played a huge role in my life. Personally, volunteering has given me some of the best friends I have ever had. Professionally, volunteering taught me patience, relationship building skills, leadership, organization, conflict resolution skills, problem solving skills, how to be a team player, and how to get through the dirty work to get a job done. What I love about volunteering is the potential of not only what it gives to others, but how it can affect you.
That is what I try to show these youth volunteers whenever I lead a project – yes, it is volunteer work, but it can be exciting work, where you can have fun, think, learn, and make a positive impact on others all at the same time. The best parts of my job are when I hear a student say at a project, “I thought this would be boring, but I had a lot of fun.” It’s a small statement, but it makes me happy that they are slowly moving over to the other side.
Do you want to learn more and or try your hand in leading and volunteering with youth? On Saturday, May 5, Chicago Cares is participating in Chicago Youth Service Day, where over 3000 teens and young adults will be volunteering around the city to make a positive impact. We are looking for volunteer leaders who can help them see the effect they are making and evoke change. If you are interested, we encourage you to sign up for our Youth in Service Leader Training, taking place just a few weeks before, on Saturday, April 21.
Today’s post is by Youth in Service Manager, Joyce Cruz.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )January Leader of the Month: Heather Bosley
One of our New Year’s Resolutions is to spend more time sharing the stories of all the amazing people who make the work that we do possible. To keep that goal, we’re starting a new monthly blog series in which we will recognize one of our outstanding Chicago Cares Leaders.
Your Chicago Cares Leader of the Month for January is Heather Bosley. Heather currently works at newswire as an account manager. As a volunteer, she has led projects at food pantries and senior housing facilities. Heather is the leader for Senior Breakfast Club at Lidia Pucinska Senior Apartments for the Youth in Service department. When she noticed that some of the bingo boards were falling apart, she offered to make more and donate them! This is just one example of Heather’s engaged style of leadership. She is dependable, responsive to emails and phone calls, and gives fantastic feedback after projects.
Chicago Cares: So Heather, how long have you been a leader with Chicago Cares?
Heather: I have been a volunteer with CC for two years and a Youth in Service (YIS) leader for one year.
Chicago Cares: Many people will wonder how you stay engaged in volunteering with your busy schedule. Can you share why you volunteer?
Heather: I firmly believe that, as a member of a community, we all have a responsibility to give back in some manner and to try to have a positive impact on those around us to better our communities. I am blessed to have life’s basic necessities – I would only hope if I was in a position of need, there would be people willing to help me as well. I really like the YIS program because I have an opportunity to (try to) inspire youth to continue a life of service, but also help and build relationships with deserving clients at the site.
Chicago Cares: Heather, we really appreciate that someone as busy as you makes the time to not only volunteer but also to lead projects.
Heather: Thank you. I really enjoy it.
Chicago Cares: We have many volunteers who are interested in leading projects. What advice would you share with others interested in becoming volunteer leaders?
Heather: It is a small time commitment, in my opinion, and you don’t need a lot of experience to do it. Chicago Cares has a great support system for leaders, so you’re not alone in making sure your project is a success.
Chicago Cares: Thanks again for your time and congratulations on becoming January’s Leader of the Month!
Heather: (smiling) Thank you, it is nice to be recognized.
If you are interested in learning more about leading youth projects like Heather, contact Joyce Cruz or sign up to attend our Youth in Service Leader Training on Thursday, January 26.
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Meet Our New AmeriCorps: Christopher Konfirst
Chicago Cares is happy to welcome three new HandsOn AmeriCorps members for their 2011-2012 year of service. Today we’re talking to Christopher Konfirst, who is working with our Youth in Service program.
Have you participated in any other AmeriCorps programs?
No, this is my first time with AmeriCorps
What drew you to Chicago Cares specifically?
I was drawn to the idea of working with youth and having a hand in instilling in them the importance of service to their community. I also thought that working with Chicago Cares would give me an opportunity to learn more about the various current issues that people within a community may face and what type of action is being taken to improve community outlooks.
Tell us about your favorite part of AmeriCorps so far.
My favorite part about AmeriCorps so far has been meeting many new people and learning about the non-profit and service fields.
What are you most excited about working on before your service year ends?
I’m looking forward to working on creating new projects and opportunities for youth to learn and serve their community.
What skills would you like to learn and take with you to your next job?
I would like to learn more about the many issues people in a community may face, the effects that these issues have on the community and individuals, and what types of things have traditionally been done to control and prevent them.
What are you plans for after AmeriCorps?
I plan to go to medical school.
Meet Our New AmeriCorps: Jennifer Walker
Chicago Cares is happy to welcome three new HandsOn AmeriCorps members for their 2011-2012 year of service. Today we’re talking to Jennifer Walker, who is working with our Youth in Service program.
What made you decide to do a service year?
I heard about AmeriCorps through a college friend. I was really interested in service since I was in a co-ed service fraternity in college, and participating in community service was something I wanted to keep in my life. When I found out that not only could I give a year of service, but I could also work with youth, I knew that joining AmeriCorps was the right path for me.
Have you participated in any other AmeriCorps programs?
I have not. This is my first year in AmeriCorps.
Why did you choose Chicago Cares?
When I first heard about Chicago Cares I didn’t know much about it. As I did more research I liked the great reputation that Chicago Cares has. I also really liked what I heard about the Youth in Service Department. I went to college to be a teacher, so anything that is related to youth is a great opportunity for me!
Tell us about your favorite part of AmeriCorps so far.
So far my favorite part is seeing how dedicated everyone is to service. It is great to see a wonderful group of people that truly enjoy helping others and making a difference in their community.
What are you most excited about working on before your service year ends?
I am really excited to work with Chicago Public Schools. I miss being in the classroom sometimes and working with CPS students will be a great way for me to keep being involved. I am also excited to learn more about Chicago Cares and get more involved. There is so much that this organization does, I would love to see what else is out there.
What skills would you like to learn and take with you to your next job?
I hope to learn more about the issue areas of Chicago and help people overcome the stereotypes that they may have of the communities. I also would love to learn how to better educate youth about these issue areas and use the knowledge that I have obtained for future endeavors.
What are you plans for after AmeriCorps?
After AmeriCorps I hope to continue working for a nonprofit organization and work with youth or use my degree and become a Social Studies teacher.
Why I Love My Job: Scenes from High School
The last bell of the day has just rung at one of our partner high schools. As a sea of students is swarming out of the building, I’m battling the current to get in, I sneak in through the doors, wave hello to the security guard and make my way down to room 115. I arrive to find a group of students waiting for everyone to arrive, catching up with each other from the long day of school. As I walk in, several students by the door turn and say hello- not necessarily remembering my name, but remembering that I’m that girl from Chicago Cares. I check in with their advisor, an English teacher at the school who volunteers her time after school to sponsor their group and then we dive in.
“So, tell me a little bit more about what it is you want to do- work with seniors right?” I ask. The group goes on to answer a series of questions and explains to me that they’d like to plan a volunteer project where they will be working with senior citizens, preparing a healthy breakfast and educating the seniors about healthy food choices. This group of students first did something like this over the summer and have decided to create their own club so they can continue learning about how to make an impact in their community. Over the course of the next hour, we brainstorm together creative ways to interact with seniors while offering education about healthy food choices.
We wrap up the session with plans for the group to continue its planning over the next few weeks. Before leaving I thank them for their time, their ideas and their creativity. This group, while exceptional, is not an exception- there are student groups all over the city who desire to learn more about ways to make an impact in their community.
Your vote for Chicago Cares- Youth in Service program in the Chicago Sun Times Sun Shine Project contest puts us one step closer to further funding that will allow us to continue reaching out to groups of kids and teens, helping them to change their world. Voting ends by October 9, so we need your help now! Here’s how to vote today:
- Create a login to the Sun Shine Project’s site, or sign in via Facebook
- Search for our organization “Chicago Cares – Youth in Service”
- Vote for us by clicking the “thumbs up” button!
- Comment about your experiences with Chicago Cares or Youth in Service… what experiences led you to volunteer? Who inspired you to start to volunteering? How has Chicago Cares impacted your life?
- Remember to vote today – voting ends on October 9th!
Today’s post is from Senior Manager of Youth in Service, Katie Clendenning
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